Introduction

In a recent decision, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) provided useful clarification on how TUPE operates in insolvency scenarios when a provisional liquidator is appointed. The judgment confirms that the TUPE exception for terminal insolvency proceedings can apply earlier than some employers and buyers may expect, with the result that employee transfer protections may be disapplied before a winding-up order is made.

TUPE and insolvency

On 15 December 2025, the Dutch Council of State (CoS; in Dutch: Raad van State) issued a critical opinion on the draft bill on transfer of undertaking in bankruptcy (In Dutch: Wet overgang van onderneming in faillissement, the WOVOF).

The UK retail and hospitality sectors are entering the crucial winter trading period under renewed pressure following the Chancellor’s November Budget. Economic growth remains weak, and the Office for Budget Responsibility has downgraded its annual economic forecasts through to 2030, signalling that the operating environment for consumer-facing businesses is likely to remain difficult for some time. Meanwhile, insolvency levels continue their upward trajectory: 2,029 company insolvencies were recorded in October 2025, a 17% increase compared with the same month last year.

The concept of an insolvency officeholder “adopting” employment contracts—well-established in UK administration law—does not have a direct equivalent in Hungarian insolvency practice. Nonetheless, understanding when a court-appointed trustee or restructuring administrator assumes employment obligations is crucial for both practitioners and employees.

Hungarian Context

In Hungary, the key officeholders in insolvency or restructuring proceedings are:

The concept that a court- or insolvency-appointed director (such as a liquidator or administrator) may “adopt” employment contracts — well known under UK insolvency practice — has no direct equivalent under Hungarian law. Nevertheless, it is important in practice to understand when a managing director becomes the actual addressee of employer obligations.

Hungarian Context

The key actors in Hungarian insolvency and restructuring proceedings are:

Insolvency and liquidation proceedings inevitably raise the question of how competing creditor claims are ranked. One area of particular importance is the treatment of employee claims, as legislators typically grant them special protection to safeguard livelihoods. Hungarian insolvency law reflects this policy by granting priority status to certain employee entitlements.

When Do Employee Claims Rank Ahead of Other Creditors?

New Zealand’s unemployment rate rose to 5.2 percent in the June 2025 quarter, according to figures released this week. As the economy takes longer to recover from the recession, costs increase and profit margins tighten, more businesses are facing solvency issues - and it is likely the unemployment figures will be higher in the next quarter. Statistics for 2024 revealed the highest number of formal insolvency appointments for the past 10 years. As of 30 June 2025, that annual figure is on track for another increase.

The Protection of Employees (Employers’ Insolvency) (Amendment) Bill 2025 aims to provide greater protection to employees where their employer becomes insolvent. The Bill will allow greater access to a Social Insurance Fund to protect employee pay-related entitlements and claims for historic entitlements over the previous 40 years. The devil is in the detail, however, with very specific caps and limitations.